Scrapping PSLE or DSA could create new pressures, send wrong signals: David Neo

SINGAPORE: Removing the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) or Direct School Admission (DSA) could shift pressure elsewhere and send the wrong signals, Second Minister for Education David Neo said on Tuesday (Sep 29).

For instance, a through-train model that skips the PSLE could shift competition to Primary 1 admission, and reduce students’ ability to choose a secondary school that suits the interests and needs they develop later.

Scrapping the DSA programme entirely could send the pressure back to the PSLE and wrongly signal that only academic results matter, he said. 

Speaking at the 2026 Institute of Policy Studies forum, Mr Neo said the Ministry of Education (MOE) will look at the parts of the system that fuel the education "arms race" the most, including the transition from primary to secondary school.

Young students face the "most acute" pressure at this stage, he said, noting that the PSLE and DSA often come up in the ministry's engagements with the public.

Mr Neo cited a recent study which found that parents want a broader, more holistic education for their children. It also showed that parental stress has increased, with families spending more time and money on tuition and enrichment.

Many parents want to raise well-rounded children without optimising every decision for the next academic milestone, he said.

“How, then, can our education system assure parents that holistic development need not come at the expense of success – especially where the stakes feel highest?”

PSLE: LOWERING THE STAKES

Most parents feel the most pressure at the PSLE and many people suggested ways to lower its stakes, said Mr Neo.

The PSLE serves three purposes – assessing a child’s understanding of the primary school curriculum, providing a basis for secondary school placement and matching students to subject levels in secondary school, he added.

Some proposed removing, postponing or even making the exam optional. Others suggested widening the top score bands so students do not have to "chase every mark".

Some also had ideas on how students are posted to secondary schools. “Many felt that the deeper answer lies in strengthening more schools, so that families do not feel the need to get their children into a handful of perceived good schools,” he said.

While each idea addresses a concern, it may also create new pressures, Mr Neo said.

He asked what could replace PSLE results as the basis for secondary school posting: balloting, proximity or a through-train model. More balloting could increase uncertainty and anxiety, while proximity could worsen social mixing by clustering students according to where they live. 

A through-train model would raise the question of which primary schools should be linked to the more sought-after secondary schools. If PSLE scoring becomes more blunt, more students will have the same score, he added. 

“For every proposal, we should ask, will it give children more room to learn, to explore and to grow? Will it preserve fairness and maintain high standards? Will it help families focus more on a school’s fit for their child? Where might it displace competition and stress?”

DSA: HOW IT BECAME A "SECOND FRONT"

The DSA programme was introduced to recognise students' talents and potential beyond exam results, and this remains valuable today, said Mr Neo.

But for some families, it has become a second front in the "arms race". Children may prepare for PSLE while building a DSA portfolio to secure a place in a preferred school.

“A genuine interest can then become an admissions strategy. Coaching starts earlier, competitions carry higher stakes, and some students eventually burn out and ask to leave the programme,” he said.

Some parents also worry that families with more resources can afford specialised training that others cannot.

MOE received suggestions to scale back or abolish DSA, while others argued it should be expanded so students can be assessed more holistically. Others proposed spreading places or talent areas more widely across schools, or recognising aptitude and interest rather than skills that can be intensively coached.

“The views differ, but they point to the same question. How can DSA recognise different strengths credibly without turning every interest into an admissions strategy?”

Narrowing DSA too much may send the message that exam performance is the only achievement that counts, while broadening it may create more areas where families feel compelled to invest just to compete. Placing greater emphasis on aptitude could make assessment more subjective and seem unfair, Mr Neo said. 

“So the goal is not more or less DSA. But it is to reconnect talent recognition with genuine development,” he said.

“A child should be able to enjoy a sport without being asked whether it will produce medals or whether it will contribute to their DSA portfolio. A child should be able to learn music without every lesson building towards a certificate.”

SCHOOL CHOICE NEED NOT FEEL LIKE DESTINY

Parents still see some schools as good schools, and others as less so, said Mr Neo. MOE must assure them that strong teaching, rich development opportunities and credible routes to success exist across the system, not only in a few schools.

“If families trust that schools across the system can help their child thrive, then any single posting outcome will carry less weight," he said.

“Parents will still have preferences, and schools will still differ in history, culture and programmes. But choosing one school over another need not feel like choosing a destiny.”

MOE wants to build a system that gives parents confidence to place less emphasis on achievement and more on holistic development, knowing this will prepare their children for "long-term success", he said.

“Let me be clear: We are not against striving. Nor are we talking about dropping standards,” he added.

Children should learn to set goals, meet challenges and recover from setbacks, he said. "But healthy striving is different from endlessly chasing the last mark." 

Chasing marginal gains from a young age can make every decision seem disproportionately consequential, leaving less room for a love of learning, said Mr Neo.

“Therefore, our aim is not to remove all competition, stress or disappointment from education. That would not be realistic, nor would it prepare our children well for life,” he said, noting that other countries that reduced or removed major exams found that the pressures re-emerge in other ways.

“Our aim is to ensure that competition does not become the all-consuming thing that crowds out the pursuit of qualities that our children need to flourish.”